Yesterday was so bittersweet for me. Haven has been waiting exactly three years for a family. All God’s Children (our adoption agency) received her file for the first time exactly three years ago. She was placed in a home quickly. The family managed to get all their paperwork done and got to her in ten months. But, as you know, things just did not work out. What was meant to be her forever family…lasted just 5 days. A friend reminded me the other day that Haven has ALWAYS been my child (and I know that in my heart), we just had to find her. I do often wonder, though, why did she have to go through such a traumatic experience? Most orphans grow up struggling with varying degrees of abandonment. They question why their biological parents abandoned them, many deal with the rejection of it for years. Our Haven will have to deal with that TWICE! She will, no doubt, question why TWO sets of parents left her in an orphanage. I pray that God would give us the wisdom and grace to see her through those hard times.
I am grateful, after Haven’s adopted was disrupted (ended), it really was a miracle of God that the Chinese Government allowed her to be put up for adoption for a second time. The Lord knew we would have to find her. Still, no child should have to wait three years, that is way too long. Sadly, this is a reality, many children wait this long. Many, especially the older children, see countless babies leave the orphanage, wondering when their turn will come. So many wait for such a long time, that eventually the country that they are in just gives up all hope of them ever finding a family and removes their file from the adoption agency that has it. My heart breaks! No, I am not saying that babies are less important when it comes to adoption! I believe that ALL children need families. It is just a reality that babies are adopted so much quicker than the older children.
I read the other day that the orphan crisis around the world is at it’s worst ever. MILLIONS of children are without parents, without the love of a mommy and daddy. Sadly, most of them will never know the love of a family. I read in my bible that it is OUR mandate, as Christians, to take care of the widows and the orphans. It is as clear as daylight….a command! In an recent interview, Steven Curtis Chapman said this…“If only 7 percent of the 2 billion Christians in the world would care for a single orphan in distress, there would effectively be no more orphans. If everybody would be willing to simply do something to care for one of these precious treasures, I think we would be amazed by just how much we could change the world. We can each do something, whether it is donating, adopting, fostering, mentoring, visiting orphans or supporting families that have taken in orphans. You can change the world for an orphan!” I love that!
How can we all do something…however small, to better the life of an orphan? There are hundreds of sponsor programs around. Imagine if we all sponsored just one orphan? Yes, God has given us a heart for adoption….but no, I do not believe that everyone is called to adopt a child. I do believe that everyone should prayerfully consider it, but that is not to say God is going to call all families to do it. I do believe that we, as the Body of Christ, should ALL do something.
God is stirring my heart, challenging me…..what can I do to make a difference? He is still teaching me about complete surrender. I pray that some day I will “get it!” For now, I am still learning, day by day.
Have a blessed day, precious friends!
